The greatest compliment you could pay to all those who helped Fabrice Muamba to come back from the 78 minutes when, in the frank words of the Bolton Wanderers's doctor Jonathan Tobin, he was "in effect dead" was the sight of a FA Cup tie played out in exactly the spirit you would hope for between any two teams anywhere in any circumstances. Once the tributes to Muamba and his progress were paid the occasion swiftly segued into a routine game. For everybody who was here for the original match ten days ago, there could be no greater symbol of recovery.

As the players warmed up in the evening sunshine and the crowd filtered into White Hart Lane chattering and cheerfully greeting their friends, beneath the superficial bonhomie was an appreciative relief that everybody was able to gather again for this rematch in an atmosphere of optimism.

It could escape nobody who witnessed the moment and the frantic and fearful minutes that followed Muamba's collapse with a cardiac arrest, that but for a whole series of medical interventions this gathering could have happened in the most awful circumstances imaginable.

"The reason we are here is because we knew Fabrice was getting better," said Owen Coyle afterwards. The inference that they would not have coped with this rearranged game had the outcome not been so positive was clear.

That Bolton were able to play on owed so much to so many and a sense of gratitude coursed around the ground. The way in which both these teams felt connected to this story was evident in the way the two sides emerged sporting identical supportive T-shirts, adorned by both club crests. But more significant than it was to see them or to observe Coyle and Harry Redknapp pat each other on the back before the kick off, was the sight of the backroom staff and medical teams as they came out the tunnel.

There were warm handshakes and embraces, with mutual recognition of the experience they shared the last time they saw one another so palpable in their eyes. These are the club employees the crowd so seldom thinks about or would probably not recognise in the street but these were the folk who stepped into the crisis and made the difference.

It was also a nice touch that the Tottenham hierarchy welcomed Dr Andrew Deaner, the cardiologist who had ran from his seat and made his way onto the pitch to lend invaluable expertise, to enjoy the evening's events from the boardroom.

Once the generous applause for Muamba and the medics who had helped him subsided, the emotion could at last be put to one side. It did not take long for the natural order of things to be restored. A competitive Cup tie broke out, the game engrossed, and everybody was able to resettle into their normal footballing routines.

So it was that Tottenham's players endeavoured to fashion a breakthrough while Bolton's rode their luck. Redknapp muttered to his assistant Kevin Bond and shook his head as Adam Bogdan made save after save, while Coyle jumped about in his shorts bellowing instructions.

The home fans sang of Wembley. It was only the little band of visitors, with their clarion call refrain in honour of Muamba, who added a layer of extraordinary emotion once the game was underway. In the 41st minute of the match, the time when Muamba fell on this turf, the Bolton supporters began to chant the name of Bolton's No6. Later, once Ryan Nelsen and Gareth Bale had paved the way for an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, the Tottenham fans in the Park Lane end took a moment out of their celebrations to sing for Muamba too.

Come the final whistle, Coyle made a point of applauding the home crowd and shaking all the Tottenham players by the hand. Kevin Davies, scorer of his team's consolation goal, clasped the hand of a paramedic as he left the pitch. We can only imagine what scenes they were both a part of as the club captain accompanied the stricken Muamba off this pitch, down that very tunnel and on to hospital.

Coyle admitted this had not been the easiest of matches to prepare for. "Was it difficult to get ready to play? Yes of course, because mentally and physically it was a big ask. In football context the lads applied themselves ever so well."

Muamba was a few miles down the road at the London chest hospital in person but very much here in spirit. With this Cup tie belatedly concluded, both Bolton and Tottenham are ready to press on